Old topic but new question - I am looking for a system to power an air purifier and/or CPAP machine - not long term, only for sick room. Those are the only two things I haven't been able to cover by other means. Looking into solar for that but it's too costly right now.

Another idea I had is this - we have a propane tank outside - don't they make propane generators? How do you get the propane to the generator. I know there are relatively inexpensive standby systems out there but require installation which is costly. Any thoughts?

There are many different generators that run on propane. Also, there are companies that make kits to convert gasoline generators to propane. You could use a small generator to charge a few 12 volt batteries and use an inverter to operate the purifier/CPAP machine. That way the generator would not have to run continuously, making your fuel last longer.

My propane tank is 300 gallons sitting in my yard. Can you hook that kind of tank to a generator? Or can you fill smaller propane tanks with a big propane tank? I can just see us creating some big explosion

Just like all other utilities if Humans are involved in any way it will likely be closed down due to lack of raw material, shipping, supervisors, and workers. Once this pandemic hits your area, you will notice the stoppage of sewage, water, gas, and electrical power.

Remember we expect a minimum of 30% sick out rate. That means they have to operate at a 30% + loss rate or every 3rd person at work missing.

Question: if I put in a natural gas generator and the BF hits will natural gas keep coming through the pipes? I figure that natural gas is a good way to run a generator because all the government emergency compounds are run on natural gas. Anyone out there know if natural gas will keep coming or will it get shut off like water?

FluMom, Richard-FL is correct. Pipeline flow is regulated. Sure alot is computerized but man still controls the operations. We are putting in a propane tank. I have just learned that the natural jets on my gas stove will need to be swapped out (very cheap to do) with a smaller jet opening for the propane bottle. I want to also have a backup when natural gas stops. We are still in the process of building, I want the propane jets in so I KNOW it's up and operational. Not sure what is done for the oven or griddle deck.

Oldish thread but FluMom raised a good point concerning natural gas. It's anybody's guess which utility would go off first, but I read somewhere that natural gas would present a major problem when it came to turning it back on again. Any pilot lights left on when the gas ran out would represent an explosion hazard when it was restored, so the companies would be forced to go door to door and ensure every pilot light was shut off before they could begin pumping to any neighborhoods fed by a common main pipe. That in itself could represent a huge delay, and it would conceivably happen every time the flow of gas was interrupted. Just a thought.

"Buy it cheap. Stack it deep""Any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong." Michael Leavitt, HHS Secretary.

Just remember that the life of the generator in a coleman stove will be shortened if you use unleaded fuel. It says so in the instructions near the end. If you have to use unleaded fuel anyway in an emergency, just remember it has toxic additives. Cover the pot and avoid breathing any fumes.

Oldish thread but FluMom raised a good point concerning natural gas. It's anybody's guess which utility would go off first, but I read somewhere that natural gas would present a major problem when it came to turning it back on again. Any pilot lights left on when the gas ran out would represent an explosion hazard when it was restored, so the companies would be forced to go door to door and ensure every pilot light was shut off before they could begin pumping to any neighborhoods fed by a common main pipe. That in itself could represent a huge delay, and it would conceivably happen every time the flow of gas was interrupted. Just a thought.

Most natural gas appliances have automatic cutoff systems in place when ever the gas goes out or the appliance stops working for some reason, the gas automatically stops flowing to the appliance. We have central heat and air, but the heat part runs off natural gas, if something goes wrong with the heating system the pilot light automatically shuts itself off, the gas stops flowing when it cuts itself off. Our hot water heater is the same way, when our hot water heater went bad and had to be replaced, the pilot automatically cut itself off. The gas wall heater we bought for backup heat is also the same way, anything wrong with the heater the gas automatically cuts itself off, they have some type of sensors in them nowadays. The gas doesn't just free flow to pilot lights, you have to actually turn knobs to turn the gas flow on to light the pilots. Now maybe if you had a REALLY old appliance it would keep flowing, like our bathroom wall heater does not cutoff automatically (house built in 1930) but we only use that in an emergency and I actually remove the handle and keep it in a drawer so it can't be turned on unless it is an emergency.

Electricity is been a big role in life of people and without it many will get annoyed.In Finland electricity is problem of some people because of electricity price at http://www.lannenomavoima.fi/ is getting higher and many force to save electricity to save money.

Standard A/Cs and Refrigerators are expensive to power off-grid. I have very little knowledge about water or wind power, but have been researching solar for the past several months.

Backwoods Solar was a big help. They start with the basics and then breakdown several popular sample systems. You can see what it takes, and costs, for your power needs.

Sunfrost makes the best line of high-efficient refrigerators/freezers that work well with solar power.

Standard A/C is almmost prohobitive to operate off grid. We have a 6,000 watt solar grid and can operate a 1.5 ton A/C unit during the middle of a sunlit day. The main unit, a 3 ton, is simply too much.

They have 15- 5 gallon gas cans that were all empty. <FONT color=#00ff00>When you open the fourth can, must refill the other three, that's what I do if my husband doesn't. We keep two out of normal usage which helps me know when he's on the fourth can.[/COLOR]

The next time that I get down there, in the very near future, I'm going to go through Generator 101 with them again. <FONT color=#00ff00>I wrote down EVERY STEP, from moving the generator into place to throwing the switch to disconnect from the city line to checking the oil, fuel, and hookups. To exactly how to start, load, and shut down. WRITE IT DOWN, put in a plastic document cover, attach to the generator. [/COLOR]

<FONT color=#00ff00>[/COLOR]

It really is something that most people should review on a somewhat regular basis, it probably would not hurt to actually perform a test run either if you have never done so in the past. <FONT color=#00ff00>Our storm two weeks ago took our power (only a few hours, but we did not know what happened). For us, we have a water-well, no power, no water. Husband had me do all the steps following my notes from the December outages. [/COLOR]

Many people take for granted that they will be able to run these things, but when it comes down to it, it is often not that easy or as safe as one would think. <FONT color=#00ff00>Found out that I did not know how to reset the Safety Pressure Switch in the pump house. More notes now attached inside the pump house and we bought a spare safety switch.[/COLOR]

That's why you always hear of the carbon monoxide deaths of home owners and electrocutions of utility workers when these things are not used properly.

<FONT color=#00ff00>Sounds like you made sure the Utility Workers were protected. Carbon Monoxide detectors are important in the home. JaxMax made an interesting point, his detector went off from so many neighbors using their generators at night, they all agreed not to run generators while sleeping. Had not thought of that. [/COLOR]

The only advice that I can give from my parents experience last night, is it is extremely important to be familiar with your equipment and know how to use it because you never know when you just might actually need it. <FONT color=#00ff00>Good advice, thank you. [/COLOR]

I prep for the worst case. I will cook and/or dry everything I have in my fridge and freezer WTSHTF. After that drying, salting and canning will have to do. I have several ways to cook the most important is wood with a volcano, second is a solar oven. I have a couple of canners, and need to purchase more jars and lids.

To keep warm a fireplace insert all the manual saws and shims to fell trees, I still have to build a holder to cut the logs. Have to get logs from around my area but I keep 4-5 cords on my property at all times. This gives time to let the new wood dry for a year.

Go to bed when the sun goes down and get up when it comes up. Doing all the work to cook, get food(anything you can get), firewood, digging latrines, washing clothes, getting water will make you want to sleep alot anyway.

Save your gas for getting water forget a generator. It will make noise and tell people you have what they don't have and they will come to get it.

WTSHTF people will be surprised at how hard things will truly be and that keeping a low profile is best. I plan on putting all my firewood into one bay of my garage and all my water making in my basement. Very little will be outside except an outhouse across the street in the park. The less people see the better.

I will board up my house and make it look like we had a fire with spray paint.

Read that somewhere so I can't take credit for that idea to paint fire residual before you board up. I need to purchase more plywood boards to fit my windows. I have some already in the garage but need more as well as a case of long screws and manual ratchet screw driver. I invest slowly but my son will have it when I am gone. He is a believer in prepping, takes after his mom.

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